


Heart of the Amazon

by Thecsquirrel



Category: Uncharted (Video Games)
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, F/F, blood and bullets, despot of the day, post-Tusk, silly little adventure
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-14
Updated: 2017-10-14
Packaged: 2019-01-17 05:29:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 12,754
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12358488
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thecsquirrel/pseuds/Thecsquirrel
Summary: Once again, the misadventures of Sam Drake have put the treasure-hunting team on the trail of La Corazon de Ix Chel in the Amazon.  Will the trio beat Shoreline to the prize? Will Nadine finish with her former company for good? Will Chloe and Nadine finally deal with their feelings? Just another silly little adventure awaits.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Thank yous and inspirational shout outs:  
> @tamsininmypants.tumblr.com for this lovely piece of art: http://tamsininmypants.tumblr.com/post/166086375454/a-take-whats-yours-and-leave-situation
> 
> Also, peace and soul grease to @artofleonardvindel.tumblr.com for being my Afrikaans Google translator! ;)

** I. The Kiddie Pool **

Bare wet feet slapped against hardwood floors as Chloe crossed through the living room of her flat and headed for the door. The steady pounding on the metal door that had drawn her attention started once more. 

With exasperation, she grumbled to herself, "calm down, wanker! I'm on the way." She assumed it was the delivery guy who had returned for some odd reason. She looked through the peep hole and then immediately yanked open the industrial steel door. Sam Drake took about two steps before he collapsed at Chloe's feet.

Chloe groaned as she took in his bloodied face. She grabbed him by scruff of his jacket and tugged him completely into the flat before sticking her head out into the hallway, with the expectation that armed goons were on their way. Satisfied that no one had immediately followed Sam, Chloe quickly slammed the door closed and slid the long bolt before locking up and setting the alarm. Having a former mercenary for a business partner had come with some perks and life hacks; chief among those perks was a new security system. 

The towel that Chloe had haphazardly wrapped around wet hair toppled over and fell to the floor as she knelt to get a good look at Sam. He looked like he had run through a briar patch and upon making it out of said briar patch, he was obviously stabbed. Or maybe shot.

"Christ, Sam." She winced as she eased open his denim jacket and looked to where he was clutching his side. Blood was beginning to seep through his fingers. She patted his sweaty cheek gently. "Sam. Sam, stay with me. What happened?"

His eyelids fluttered open and he wheezed. "Ke-keep, safe." He gulped. "I n-need a minute." He gritted his teeth and tried to focus on Chloe's face. "Just give - just give me-

His words trailed off and his head rolled to the side. 

"Damn it, Sam." She patted his cheek trying to rouse him, but he had fallen unconscious. Chloe grabbed her towel from the floor and pressed it hard against the wound. 

She opened her mouth to call out for Nadine, only to hear the woman's voice coming from the back room. 

"No fair, Frazer. You promised to get the crick out of my neck. What the hell are you doing out here?" There was laughter in her voice. 

Nadine had a towel wrapped around her waist, soaking up the water from her swim trunks, as she entered from the back patio and made her way into the living room. She could just make out the top of Chloe's head from where she was kneeling. With a smile on her lips, she began, "what are you- 

Nadine came to a full stop once she came around the couch and saw exactly what was keeping Chloe. Upon seeing the blood on Sam’s shirt Brown eyes opened wide in a minute sign of surprise. "Is he dead?" She asked calmly.

Chloe stood up while grooving her fingers through her damp hair. "Not yet, but he could use your help." 

Nadine nodded. "Ja. Let's get him into the bathroom before he bleeds all over the floor."

Chloe grabbed hold of Sam's legs, leaving Nadine to take his upper body, and they walked him to the bathroom and placed him on the floor of the newly tiled shower. "Guess it's a good thing I upgraded the shower, huh." Chloe winked. "Doubles as a triage."

Nadine rolled her eyes as she whipped off her towel and stepped into the shower to get a better look at Sam. "Can you hand me -" she started. 

Chloe placed the folding knife in the other woman's hand before she even finished her sentence. Nadine worked quickly to remove his jacket and bloody t-shirt. Chloe was already handing Nadine her med kit as she peeled away the last of his shirt. Nadine snapped on a pair of latex gloves before poking at the wound on Sam's left side. "Do you know what happened?" She posed her question to Chloe as she pricked Sam's skin with a local anesthetic. She placed the used sharp in a safe container as Chloe responded.

Chloe leaned against the sink and curtailed her hair in a ponytail holder as she answered. "He basically fell through the door and said something about needing a minute." She could see Nadine arch her brow as she started to clean the most pressing gash at his side. "He mumbled something about keeping safe and I found an envelope in his pocket."

Expectant brown eyes glanced over at Chloe. "And?"

"There might be a map." She smirked.

Nadine hummed and went to work on suturing the wound. "Of course, there's a map." 

"If it makes you feel better, no one was chasing him." Chloe grinned and then tossed her towel to the floor, before going in search of pair of pants, so she could get out of her bikini bottoms. She tossed her kiddie pool gear and grabbed a pair of track pants and a tank top. She returned to the bathroom just as Nadine was slathering antiseptic ointment over the stitches before taping on the gauze. Sam was probably going to need a hospital, but the wound wasn't that deep, so hopefully this would hold until a hospital trip was possible. She cleaned out what appeared to be a bullet graze at his shoulder and put some ointment on the other clear bruises on his face. He had certainly been worked over and of course his first stop was Chloe's flat. 

"So, what's the verdict, doc?" Chloe kept her tone light and hopeful while she picked up her towel and placed it on the rack. 

Nadine stood and stepped out of the makeshift emergency room. "He'll live, but my worry now is just what the hell happened." She came to stand on the other side of the sink and folded her arms across her chest. She let her fingers curl around her well-defined biceps while she eyed Chloe with concern. 

Chloe managed to keep her eyes focused on Nadine's eyes and not the swell of her breasts in her plum colored sports bra or the way she tensed her muscles as she spoke. "Well, we know it has to have something to do with his map. Still not sure what exactly the map is pointing to."

"We also don't know if he was followed." She sighed. So much for their vacation. "Which means we need to get him and us out of here, probably 10 minutes ago.

Chloe pouted and put her face in her hands. "So much for that vacation, huh?" She lifted her head from her hands and they shared a resigned smile. 

"I need to make a phone call. You should get dressed." She glanced back at Sam who hadn't stirred. "We'll leave him there until we're ready." At that, she gently nudged Chloe to the side so she could leave the bathroom. 

Before leaving the bathroom, Chloe peeked in on Sam and then walked out to meet Nadine, who was sitting at one of the high stools at the island kitchen counter with her laptop open and phone in her hand. "Plan?"

Nadine looked over at Chloe, who was still in her track pants and a very tight tank top sans bra, and briefly she forgot what she was going to say. The past five months had a been a test of will and fortitude for the soldier, as she had convinced herself that pursuing anything beyond a friendship with Chloe would be detrimental to their working relationship. On most days, her rationalizations had worked and they even made sense. When they were out in the field searching for artifacts and pulling favors for associates, it was easy to focus on keeping them both safe and focused on the job. Unfortunately, the body demanded rest and down time was necessary and welcome. However, that also meant they spent that down time together, because why not. The whole point of relaxing was just to allow them time to recuperate and plan for the next job. 

A freakish July heat made Chloe whine about having a pool and so, on a whim, Nadine ordered an inflatable lime green kiddie pool for them to lounge in on the back patio. They had laughed themselves silly and then filled the pool with water, ice, and beer. It was damn near heaven. Granted it wasn't an exotic locale but the company was good and the beer was definitely cold. 

Nadine heard her name on Chloe's lips and she laughed off her momentary brain lapse. "S-sorry. I was just thinking." She focused her eyes on the screen to give herself a second, so she never saw the smug smirk Chloe wore for a split second. "You. Dressed. Now. Go." She waved her hand at Chloe in a gesture of shooing her away. 

"Ooh! So, bossy. Normally, I'd say no, but for you I'll make an exception." She winked at her friend before dashing off to her bedroom.

Nadine let out a breath and focused on her laptop. 

Chloe emerged in dark blue jeans and a snug black v-neck a few minutes later. Nadine was ending her phone call and hopping off the stool as she entered. "We're all set. Let me get changed and we can go."

"Go! Shit, I'm not even packed!" Chloe stretched her hands and out and looked around the open floor plan of the flat, suddenly wondering what she needed to pack. 

Nadine patted her on the shoulder in a calming gesture as she moved past her. "Don't worry. You're already packed." Nadine just grinned as she headed for the guest room where she kept her clothes.

Chloe chuckled. "I am? We are? How? When? What?" She whipped her head around to look after Nadine, but she had already disappeared into the back bedroom. She walked towards the fridge while curtailing long black hair into a low ponytail.

She poured a herself a glass of juice, while she waited on her partner's return from what had quickly become her room a little more than a month after they had returned from India. It had not escaped either of them that Nadine had her own closet and dresser. It was just practical, according to Nadine. The two women had spent a couple of weeks apart as they headed off in separate directions to get things in order and think things through without all the adrenaline.

Two weeks later, Chloe was calling Nadine about "liberating" an Ashanti dagger from a fat-cat tech mogul in Dubai. Chloe fondly remembered racing across the desert with Nadine laughing in the passenger seat of the rented SUV and thinking to herself, that there was no other place she wanted to be. The pair had made it back to London, got things settled, and other than a few days here or there, Nadine spent most of her time in London. 

"There are two go-bags in the hall closet. Yours is the red." Nadine's voice reached the kitchen.

Gray eyes opened comically wide and Chloe opened her mouth in a silent 'O' of surprise. Chloe made her way to the closet and sure enough there were two compact duffel bags on the floor. She pulled them out and just smiled. She opened the zipper on her bag and she could clearly see a few neatly packed t-shirts, what were obviously her boots, and at least two pairs of cargos. Chloe smiled hard and she felt the familiar warm ache settle in her chest, as she thought about how much Nadine was always taking care of her. She zipped the bag back up and stood up. 

Clad in dark khakis and a heather gray t-shirt, Nadine emerged from the back room carrying another duffel bag full of weapons and gear. Chloe couldn't help curling her top lip into the hint of a frown. "But I was getting used to your hair down," she teasingly complained as she took in Nadine's customary ponytail.

Nadine chuckled. "I don't have time for all that and you know it. And now that Sam Drake is involved, I think it's safe to say that vacation is over." She gave a small pout.

Chloe let her shoulders sag. "Next vacation, let's just go off the grid." 

"You have a deal." Nadine gave Chloe a full smile that she only seemed to reserve for the other woman. "Now, let's get the hell out of here."  
  
**II. Legend Has It…**

Nadine's turn by turn directions had taken them an hour out of the city and into the rural space of Epping Green in Essex. Chloe drove the Jeep up a back, gravel road to what appeared to be a rundown and neglected chapel. They entered through the metal storm doors at the back and walked into what was clearly a rather nice safe house. The open floor plan had a small kitchenette off to the right, a full-sized bed in the back left corner, a walled off bathroom, and a sitting space in the middle. A chalkboard hung on a back wall near a metal table that could be used for staging. The wooden Wing Chun dummy and standing heavy bag along the left side alerted Chloe to the fact that Nadine had probably stayed here more than once. Together, they carried a still sleeping Sam and deposited him onto bed before heading to the couches in the center of the room. 

Nadine sat down on one end of the couch fully intending to stretch out her legs to grab a nap. Chloe beat her to it, by stretching long legs out on the broken-in couch and nestling her head in Nadine's lap. 

"You do know there's another couch right there, right?" She pointed to her left where a very plush looking chaise sat. 

"Oh totally." Chloe toed off her boots and closed her eyes. "This couch is so much comfier though." She opened her eyes to wink at Nadine before closing them again.

Nadine could only roll her eyes in amusement. Who was she to fight her partner's logic.  
\--

As Sam came to after another solid hour, the local anesthetic dulled the worst of the pain in his side, but his face still throbbed like hell. With a moan, he sat up and tried quickly to get his bearings. He knew he wasn't at Chloe's, but this was the weirdest hospital ever, if it was one. He eased out of the bed and to his feet. The soft glow of two pendant lamps cast an orange aura around the open space as if it was lit by a fireplace. It wasn't terribly bright, but he could just make out the explosion of carefully coiffed curly hair that made up Nadine's ponytail. On measured steps, he moved towards the couch. 

He smiled despite the pain in his face while moving towards an empty arm chair. Chloe lay on her back with her head resting on Nadine's thighs, her face slack and content in her sleep. Nadine's right hand was tangled in the long strands of Chloe's jet-black hair that was swept over her shoulder. Her left hand appeared to be trapped underneath the woman's thigh.

Other than the quiet of hum of the fridge, the sound of Sam’s footsteps were easy for her to hear. "Stop staring, Drake." Nadine didn't bother to open her eyes as she spoke. 

Sam grinned and eased down into the chair opposite the couch. "I was just thinking about taking of picture of you two and sending it to Nate."

"Do that and I'll shoot you in the knee caps." Nadine lifted her head and opened her eyes just as she pointed the gun resting in her left hand in Sam's direction.

He held up his left hand in a show of surrender, as he kept his right hand covering his newly stitched wound. "I'm kidding." He let out a shaky breath. 

Nadine smirked and put the gun down. "How's your side?"

"Sore, but I'll live."

She nodded. "Good. I'll send you my bill."

He just grinned and then glanced at Chloe, who had turned on her side and curled into Nadine. 

Nadine squinted at Sam in question. "What?"

His grin grew wider. "Nothing," he lied. "Just didn't realize you two were a thing."

Nadine's eyebrows reached her hairline. "We are not a thing, Drake." She almost sounded convinced. 

Sam snorted in disbelief. "Uh, huh."

"Whatever." Nadine gently nudged Chloe. 

Chloe nuzzled Nadine's stomach. "I'll get it later." Chloe mumbled out the words. 

Nadine bit the inside of her lip to keep from smiling. "She, uh, talks in her sleep." Brown eyes focused anywhere but Sam and she felt a slight heat reach her cheeks. 

Sam coughed into his hand to keep from laughing. "Huh. What else does she do in her sleep?" 

Nadine groaned dramatically before pushing gently against Chloe's shoulder. "C'mon Frazer, time to get up."

"Five more minutes, 'kay." She rubbed her forehead against Nadine's stomach which caused the woman's abs to twitch at the ticklish sensation. 

"Nah, just let her sleep." He winked at the clearly irritated Nadine.

"Fuck you, Drake," she growled. She gently ran her fingers across Chloe's forehead. "Up, Frazer. Let's go." She flexed her thighs and Chloe finally stirred. 

Chloe awoke with a jolt "What happened?!" She sat up and quickly took stock of her surroundings. She made eye contact with Nadine and then Sam. "Wow, I think I needed that nap." She swung her legs off the couch and stretched her arms above her head. "How you feeling there, Sam?"

He scratched at the stubble on his chin as he answered. "Feel like I got run over by a Zamboni and then stabbed and possibly shot."

"Sounds about right," Chloe commented through a laugh. "Now, you want to tell us what in the hell is going on?"

Sam let out a melodramatic groan and let his head fall back against the cushion of the arm chair. He dragged his fingers through his hair and then finally sat forward, letting his elbows rest on his knees. "Look, while I was in prison I had to do a lot of favors to keep my face this pretty."

Nadine's eyes sparkled as she opened her mouth ready with a snarky comment that was sure to hurt Sam's feelings, or at least settle her suspicions about his sexual proclivities. Chloe preempted the comment with a long finger pressed against the other woman’s lips. 

"And we can't wait to hear that story!" Chloe couldn't hide her smile. "In fact, I'm sure Nadine has a bottle of scotch stashed around here that we can all enjoy while you tell us this amazing story. Chloe kept her finger pressed to Nadine's lips as she turned to face her partner. 

Nadine pressed her tongue against the inside of her cheek and arched her eyebrow. "Sure, I'll get the Scotch."

"Thanks, love." Chloe called out. She kept her eyes affixed to Nadine while watching her walk towards the kitchen area. 

Sam tracked Chloe's eyes and shook his head. "Oh, I can't wait to tell Nate. Please, let me tell Nate."

Chloe furrowed her brow and looked at Sam like he was growing an arm out of the side of his neck. She scoffed. "Whatever, mate. She's my partner." Even though she put effort into sounding nonchalant, Chloe didn't believe her own attempt to deflect and deny. 

Sam looked up at ceiling and sighed. "Whatever helps you sleep at night, Frazer." 

Chloe pursed her lips and thought about responding, but she wasn't quite sure what her response would entail. It was true that Nadine was indeed her partner, her friend, and even her confidant. She trusted Nadine with her life and Chloe was desperate to keep that trust, even if that meant suppressing the sometimes constant urge to touch the other woman, to talk to the other woman, to simply be near the other woman. She had once before felt the full brunt of Nadine's disappointment and hurt, standing amongst the ruins of a lost city in the Western Ghats. The bloody nose was the least of her punishment as far as she was concerned. Chloe remembered the rain storm as she headed towards Nandi, and the only thing on her mind was getting to Nadine and finding a way to beg forgiveness. In the end, Chloe had found the well of her humility and she had asked for forgiveness in the only way she knew how. 

Stubborn asshole and selfish dickhead. They were quite the pair, and even though she couldn't quite place it in the moment, she knew that Nadine's friendship and trust was one that she craved and that she needed. The prospect of hurting Nadine had kept Chloe in check for the past few months, in spite of the ample opportunities that were thrown her way to define the nature of their relationship. Sometimes she thought for sure that Nadine wanted to take the risk, but Nadine would always find a reason to look away from too long of stare or she'd wriggle out of hug, or she'd end up back in her bed in the morning even though they had fallen asleep together in the same bed. 

Chloe pushed her musings from her head as the woman in question returned to the sitting area with three glass tumblers and a bottle of Laphroaig.

Nadine glanced at the empty chaise before deciding against it and sat down next to Chloe on the couch. She realized that Sam was going to think whatever he wanted about their relationship, but she also wasn't interested in upsetting the dynamic that they had. Chloe was her partner and her friend and nothing more. Granted, Nadine would never admit out loud how much she enjoyed simply being in the other woman's presence or how nothing quite felt like the feeling she got when she made Chloe happy. Whether it was some tidbit of trivia or buying a ridiculous kiddie pool on a whim, because the other woman had mentioned how much she wanted to lounge by the pool in the summer sun. Ever the pragmatist, Nadine knew her crush on the cocksure thief was visible from space, but a crush was survivable, and in Nadine's mind, a crush was just an obvious sign of how much she respected and trusted her partner. 

With a sure hand, Nadine poured the scotch and handed out the glasses. "We're all ears, Drake." 

Sam smiled in gratitude and raised his glass before starting: "Well ladies, legend has it..."  


** III. Fireside Chat **

_On the Border of Brazil and Columbia, Pana Pana_

"Well, according the Sam, La Corazon del Ix Chel was originally a gift from Pedro Arias De Avila to his wife, Isabel de Bobadilla. The necklace was made from what was supposedly an emerald that originally weighed over 50 pounds. De Avila had the necklace commissioned for his wife and the emerald necklace, which now only weighed 17 pounds was somewhere "lost" in the Amazon. In 2011, when excavation began for the stadium some treasures were unearthed and chief among them was a map to the Avilas' lost treasure trove." Nadine rattled off the information from memory as they drove through the valley pass. 

Chloe guided the rugged 4x4 through the jungle path as they headed towards the longitude and latitude markers on the map. The plan for the moment was to make camp and get settled while the sun was still high in sky. Between the easy flight and the drive so far, the trio was convinced that they had either beaten the competition to the mark or they were behind. Nadine's new silence for the past ten minutes suggested to Chloe that she was worried they were indeed behind. 

"How ya' doing, partner?"' Chloe's voice carried over the noise of the engine. Nadine kept alert gold-brown eyes on the lush green and sepia landscape and just nodded. Chloe took her hand off the stick shift and plucked the other woman's thigh. "You just not going to talk this whole trip, china? I mean Sam and I can talk for you." Chloe was all smiles as Nadine turned her head and frowned.

"I was rather enjoying the peace and quiet for once." She glanced back at Sam who was somehow dozing despite the bumpy jungle path. 

Chloe brushed off the other woman's brusque tone by blowing a kiss in her direction. "Funny. Penny for your thoughts?"

Nadine shrugged. "I'm just a little on edge that we haven't seen Sam's friends yet." 

Chloe kept her eyes on the path. "So, you think they're ahead of us or behind us?"

Nadine pursed her lips and rested her booted foot against the glove compartment. "If it was me, I'd hedge my bets. Leave a team to follow and leave a team to get a head start."

Chloe grumbled as she kept the afternoon sun in sight and turned towards a small clearing. "Yep. That sounds about right." The car came to a stop and Chloe cut the engine. "Next step?" 

Nadine blew out a strained breath and released her seatbelt. "We need to know who we're dealing with." A line formed between her brows as she contemplated the possibilities.

Chloe regarded her friend with soft eyes. It had only been 5 months, but she knew what kept Nadine up at night. "You're worried, aren't you?" Nadine kept her eyes affixed on some random trunk of a tree as Chloe spoke. "You're worried that it's -

Chloe stopped mid-sentence as Nadine turned to look at her. Her jaw was tensed along with all the muscles in her shoulders. "We should set up camp before we lose light." Her tone was curt as she promptly opened the Jeep door and got out. She glanced at her watch before closing the door shut. It was only 4:00p.m. They still had hours of light. Chloe kept both hands on the steering wheel as she watched Nadine in the rear-view mirror. Well-defined biceps flexed as she roughly grabbed the duffel bags and shouldered them both before moving away from the jeep and towards a clear spot to set up camp. 

"Guess she's pissed, huh?" Sam opened his eyes slowly and caught Chloe's gray eyes in the mirror. 

Chloe huffed and unbuckled her belt. "You'd be pissed too if you thought the company you had inherited was once again out there destroying your family name and everything you had worked for." Chloe hopped out of the car.

Sam furrowed his brow in a show of cynicism. "They weren't exactly doing humanitarian work, Chloe."

Chloe titled her head in acknowledgment "Fair enough. But it was still her company and she had it stolen from her." She pointed towards the remaining bag and went off to join Nadine, who had started pulling out the tent. 

Chloe just watched for a moment as Nadine set about her task with focus. She knew now wasn't the time to continue the conversation, but eventually they needed to have it. "Hey, why don't you let me get the tent and you take the fire. You know I suck at it." Her self-deprecating tone got Nadine’s attention. 

She looked up from her squatting position and grinned. "I still don't know how you can't make a fire, Frazer."

Chloe shrugged. "Who needs to be Bear Grylls when I've got a lighter." She wiggled her eyebrows before whipping out her zippo and snapping open the flame. The parlor trick elicited a small laugh from her partner, which was enough for Chloe. 

"Give me that." Nadine snatched the lighter in jest. "The tent's all yours." 

Sam fell into step next to Chloe as Nadine went about making a fire ring. "I'm gathering we're sleeping in shifts?" he asked as they finally pitched the tent. Chloe tossed in two sleeping bags before crawling in to unfurl the bags. She poked her head out of the entrance. "And you get first watch, sleeping beauty." She crawled back out of the tent and they joined Nadine near the fire. A couple of fallen logs and a mat made for comfy perches. 

Nadine sat crossed leg on the mat with a small arsenal of guns and knives surrounding her and her cleaning kit. Chloe took the log to the right of Nadine and Sam sat across from them both. 

"So, Nadine, besides the mosquitoes the size of my fist, what else is going to kill us in the middle of the night?"

Nadine tilted her head in thought for a moment as she disassembled her Glock. "There're over 2,000 species in the Rainforest. Granted we're not quite in the heart, but there's still plenty to see."

With a smile Chloe queried, "they've got monkeys, right?" She opened a bottle of water and took a deep swig before setting the bottle next to Nadine and then opening one for herself. She tossed Sam a bottle after he rose an eyebrow in confusion.

"Course they do. In fact, there so many no one knows how many there are." Nadine smiled as she kept up her cleaning. "They've got Howlers and Capuchins and Spider monkeys. Even those um, Marmosets and Squirrel monkeys."

"Oh! Capuchins are the little monkeys from Friends right!" Sam chipped in with excitement. 

Nadine looked up from her gun at him and nodded. "Ja." She finished with one gun and picked up her Sig Sauer. "They're super intelligent and highly trainable." She pulled back the slide with a snap before adding, "unlike most humans."

"Ouch!" Chloe flicked water at the other woman. "I take offense to that. I pick up my towels from the floor - now." She stuck out her tongue at Nadine.

Nadine's shoulders shook with a silent laugh as she closed her cleaning kit. "That you do. I'm very proud." She winked at Chloe and finally leaned back against the felled log to drink her water. 

"See, Sam, just need the right teacher," Chloe said with an almost sincere sense of pride.

Sam nearly choked on his water before he just nodded.

Nadine then continued. "There are also 370 reptiles and 400 species of amphibians. So, basically don't touch anything and don't eat anything." She looked pointedly at Chloe, who wore a "who me?" expression on her face.

"And of course, that's just the stuff that's not trying to actively kill us right?" Sam added after a moment of thought. 

"Exactly." Nadine agreed. 

Chloe looked over at the rather relaxed Nadine and decided now was the moment. "So, speaking of people trying to kill us, anything else you want to tell us Sam?"

Sam was lifting the bottle of water to his lips when he stopped halfway and looked across the fire to find two sets of curious eyes on him. Well, one pair was curious and the other pair were amber in the firelight and looked ready to send a torrent of heat in his direction. 

"Look, I told you what I knew back at the safe house. These three goons jumped me at the pub and it was obvious they knew who I was or what I had on me."

Chloe nodded. "We got that, but I'm still trying to figure out how you even got this information."

He crushed his empty bottle and sat it next to his foot before leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees. "I wasn't kidding about prison favors." He watched Nadine's eyebrow arch. "Not like that, Ross. Sheesh." He rolled his eyes and grinned. "Jorge was member of the Columbian cartel and he really liked fruit. I'd smuggle the old guy in fruit every month and he'd tell me crazy stories about Columbia. That's how I learned about the necklace."

Chloe toyed with the plastic cap of her water bottle. "Yeah, well who else did he tell about the necklace, ‘cause odds are that's who came to find you."

"Doubtful. Jorge died before I got out." 

Nadine put down her whetstone and the blade she had been sharpening at Sam's words. "So, who did you tell?"

He shrugged and scratched his scalp. "I mean, I'm sure I told Nate about it once and probably a partner or two or along the way." He grimaced.

Chloe watched Sam scrunch his brow up and Nadine crossed her arms across her chest. "Any of those partners we need to worry about?" The rage in her voice was just at a simmer. 

Sam stared into the fire and avoided looking in either woman's direction. "Prado is back in jail last time I checked and well, Rafe is dead."

And there it was. 

Nadine hopped to her feet and Chloe tried to triangulate the best way she could keep Nadine from hopping over the fire and pummeling Sam.

 _Fokenwil_ , I knew it," she growled through clenched teeth. The tendons in her neck stood out as Nadine pointed an accusatory finger at Sam. " _Yissus_ , I am never going to be rid of this shit. Is he alive? Tell the fucking truth, Drake." Nadine stared hard at Sam as she momentarily thought about wrapping her hands around the man's throat and squeezing till she heard a pop. Her chest heaved with her labored breaths. She was near fuming and she knew she needed to walk away. Obviously, Rafe's betrayal was still a sore subject for her.

Sam held up his hands and shook his head. "Nadine, I swear he's dead. I mean, I don't even know how he survived."

"Did you see him die?" The firelight bounced off her skin and for a moment it looked as if the flames were licking at her skin. "Did you?"

"Christ, Nadine! I don't know! Between the damn near ton of gold that crushed him and the fire and the water, I honestly just don't know." She just glared at him. "I'm serious. How can he even be alive?"

"The same way you are!" She spat out the words and turned to walk away. Chloe's fingertips grazed her wrist and she snatched her arm away, oblivious to the look of hurt on Chloe's face. "Not now, Frazer." With her clenched fists at her side, Nadine walked away from the campsite and past the car, just into a dense line of green. 

Chloe watched until the dark blue of Nadine's shirt was swallowed up in the landscape. She snapped her head back in Sam's direction and scowled. 

"Chloe, I swear to you he's dead as far as I know." He was sincere. "Why would she care?"

Chloe just sighed and rubbed at her temples in the hopes that the action would stave off the impending headache. "If you told Rafe, then Rafe probably told the Shoreline guys, which means that's who we're chasing." 

Sam let go of a soft, "oh" as he both looked and felt like someone had punched him the gut. 

"Just keep watch and maybe figure out how we can get ahead of them." Chloe slapped her thighs and stood up before heading off after Nadine. 

Just past a line of trees, she spotted the other woman just as she sent a quick one-two punch to a tree trunk. Chloe realized by the way Nadine snapped her hand back that she had hurt herself. 

She kept her tone casual and void of judgment. "You know that poor tree can't fight back, right?"

Nadine let her hands fall to her side, but she didn't turn around. "I just need a minute, Frazer."

Chloe rolled her eyes at her partner's stubborn streak. She respected the darker woman's space and her need to get her temper in check, but she had learned as of late that letting Nadine sit too long with her anger would only make her erupt. "I already gave you a minute and now I've come to find you."

She watched as Nadine's shoulders rose and then fell as she expelled air. Nadine let out a groan. " _Eish_ , I just want to be done. And I hate that it has to be this way." 

Chloe took small steps towards Nadine. "You want to fix it, don't you?" 

Nadine hung her head and flexed her right hand that was throbbing a bit. "Ja. I guess, I mean, I think I do."

Chloe sighed and felt her chest get tight at the thought of Nadine going off to fix Shoreline. She worried her bottom lip with her teeth as she reached down and gently lifted Nadine's right hand. She grabbed a handkerchief out of her back pocket and dabbed at the small cuts across her knuckles. She focused on cleaning away the splinters of wood. "If that's what you think you need to do, then I understand if you, uh, if you feel the need to go."

Nadine was lost for a moment in the feel of Chloe's gentle ministrations on her hand, so it took a few seconds for her to register the other woman's words. She clutched at Chloe's fingers and turned around, so that they were face to face. Gold-brown eyes glistened with unshed tears. "That's not what I'm saying. I-I don't want leave, Chloe." She looked down at her hand in Chloe's hand and took a deep breath. "This is what I want. This. Us." She tugged on the other woman's hand and then finally looked up at her. Chloe's expression was somewhere between surprise and elation. Nadine, sputtered a bit as she realized what her statement must've sounded like to the other woman. "I mean, I like what we do together and I don't want that to stop. I don't want to stop being with you." Nadine looked to the sky as if the right words were in the tree top canopy. "I just don't know what to do about Shoreline, but I can't lose this." Nadine shook her head. She was sure this was coming out wrong. Chloe still hadn't responded, but a slow smile was just beginning to pull at the corner of mouth.

Chloe watched the normally confident and focused woman sputter through her words, and she was sure that the former mercenary would never cease being adorable to her. Chloe squeezed Nadine's fingers, causing the woman to meet her eyes. "For the record, I like running around the world with you, as well. It's a good thing we've got, right?" She nodded and Nadine responded with a nod. She took a breath. "And to be completely selfish, no, I don't want that to end and especially not for Shoreline. And I'm sorry if that makes me a selfish dickhead." They shared a smile. "I know you've got shit to sort out, but -

Nadine cringed and tried to turn away, but Chloe held fast to her hand. "That's just it, I don't want to sort it. I just want it done. I'm tired of these guys. I meant what I said in India. I don't want it back. I just want it to be free of it." She took a breath. "I just- I just want this." Her words came out with confidence and Nadine didn't really care if it sounded like she wasn't just talking about their partnership. She errantly thought that maybe they should be having that conversation as well. 

They stood close together now, with Chloe's left hand still holding onto Nadine's right - barely space between their bodies. Tentatively, Chloe lifted her right hand and softly walked her fingertips up the back of Nadine's neck. The action made Nadine let out a soft sigh before leaning in to rest her forehead against Chloe's. Nadine closed her eyes to the sensation, as Chloe's touch became a much more solid grip at the nape of her neck. They both breathed in the quiet peace of the moment. 

Eventually, Chloe spoke. "Look, let's just go and finish this, okay. Whether it's Rafe or Shoreline or some other despot of the day. Let's get what we came for and then you and I are going to put a pin a map and just go. Can we do that?"

Nadine nodded as she gripped Chloe's hip. "Reykjavik." Nadine whispered.

Chloe's blunt fingernails lightly scratched and drew meandering lines in the sensitive flesh of the darker woman's neck, causing Nadine to feel relaxed and turned on at the same time. "That can be our first stop. Just you and me and the Northern lights."

"What if it's not the right time?" she worried. 

"Then we'll wait it out, won't we." Chloe smiled and she felt Nadine nod. "You cool?"

"Ja. You keep doing that and I'm going to fall asleep." Her grin was lazy. 

"Doing what?" Chloe feigned innocence even as she lightly drummed her fingers against Nadine's vertebrae. 

Nadine chuckled and lifted her head in time to catch Chloe's rakish grin. Nadine had wanted to say something, but upon locking eyes with Chloe her words got muddled up and caught in her throat, as she saw the same want and desire that she had been fighting for months, in the mirror of Chloe's gray eyes. Nadine swallowed audibly. Chloe's fingertips pressed into her neck and they were both inching closer - lips on a sure collision course- when Sam's shrill whistle broke the spell. 

The two women moved apart with a bit of a jump before sharing a smile. 

They could hear Sam's voice just on the edge of the tree line. "We gotta go. I think I found something!"

 

**To Be Continued...**


	2. Heart of the Amazon (cont.)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Once again, the misadventures of Sam Drake have put the treasure-hunting team on the trail of La Corazon de Ix Chel in the Amazon. Will the trio beat Shoreline to the prize? Will Nadine finish with her former company for good? Will Chloe and Nadine finally deal with their feelings? Just another silly little adventure awaits.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Previously:_
> 
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> _Chloe leaned against the sink and curtailed her hair in a ponytail holder as she answered. "He basically fell through the door and said something about needing a minute." She could see Nadine arch her brow as she started to clean the most pressing gash at his side. "He mumbled something about keeping safe and I found an envelope in his pocket."_
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> _Expectant brown eyes glanced over at Chloe. "And?"_
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> _"There might be a map." She smirked._
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> _Nadine hummed and went to work on suturing the wound. "Of course, there's a map."_

**IV. Old Friends, New Friends.**  
_32 hours later..._

If they survived this latest adventure, waterfalls and caves would be their final takeaways. Sure, the landscape was lush and the forest deep and surreal, but the endless caves that disappeared into rushing water, and pounding waterfalls that shielded hidden entrances, made for the most lasting memories. 

Currently, Chloe Frazer was beginning to think that the waterfall cave entrance that she was being forcibly edged closer to, was going to be the last thing she saw. The ropes tying her wrists were tight against the curve of her behind, making it near impossible to try to wriggle free. The ropes around her ankles kept her legs together tight at the calves and the added weight of a welded steel chain looped through the ropes at her ankles was not a fashion accessory. 

She could hear a groggy Sam coming to on the floor behind her. Chloe tried to focus on the odds of how she was going to make it out of this, but all she could really think about was the last time she saw Nadine. It had been at least 15 minutes since the former paramilitary leader had tumbled off the mining scaffolding with the last of one her rogue Shoreline lieutenants clutched in a headlock. 

The good news was that Rafe was indeed dead. But the bad news was that the remaining splinters of her former company, those who had been loyal to Rafe and Orca, were back to aiding and abetting the local despot attempting to exploit the region. Sam's earlier discovery had sent them on a hunt through caves and a maze of tunnels and caverns. 

While this treasure hunt had been mostly free of puzzles and cryptic languages, the labyrinth made by the network of tunnels proved tedious and Nadine wished out loud for C-4. As luck would have it, a misstep on a loose walkway proved to be break they needed. Nadine kept a sure grip on Chloe's hand as she hung off the side of the now defunct walkway. Nadine made good use of all that upper body strength as she pulled the woman back up onto the safety of the rock ledge. 

"Nice save, partner." Chloe said with a light laugh once her heart rate returned to normal. 

Nadine wiped her sweaty brow and grinned. "My pleasure." 

Sam waved to them from the other side of the expanse "Guess what guys?" He pointed below. "I think we found our safe room." 

Chloe and Nadine fixed their eyes below and sure enough amidst the rubble was what appeared to be a safe. The very safe that Jorge claimed had been built by the Spaniards to keep the treasure safe. 

"Not bad work, Frazer." Nadine smirked and nudged her shoulder.

"I'll race you guys!" A practically giggly Sam made a bee-line for the narrow set of stairs to his right.

Shocked faces quickly morphed into slightly annoyed glares. 

Chloe's simultaneous, "cheater!" bounced off Nadine's bellowed "poephol!" They shared a smile before descending the craggy wall the old fashioned way.

A few well -placed shots revealed their prize. Twenty deep green emeralds surrounding a solid ring of what was probably silver and in need of a cleaning. The monstrosity weighed at least 10 pounds, so there was no way that Senora Avilas was wearing that thing out about to do her gardening. Sam slipped the necklace into a soft bag and back inside the metal box. High-fives and smiles were exchanged before the celebration was interrupted with gunfire and explosions. 

They had managed to keep a good distance from the Shoreline mercenaries, but they had been wise enough to hang back. Nadine fumed as she recognized the handiwork f her former associate. Severine had been Orca's bootlick and here he still followed in his misguided mentor's footsteps. Nadine knew full well that it had been under the prodding of Orca and Severine that many of those men she had trusted and led, made the decision to turn on her and for what? Rafe promised fortune and fame and all they got in the end were watery graves, if they were lucky. 

They backtracked through a tunnel and headed for one of the mine shafts dodging bullets and small explosions along the way. The trio was scaling the wooden scaffolding of a defunct elevator shaft when they were all separated. 

Chloe reached the top first and it was only a precise shot that kept the charging Shoreline agent from knocking her off. Nadine dangled by one arm from the scaffolding as she cleared a path for Chloe and Sam to run towards the exit through the falls. She finally pulled herself up to the top and nearly made it to the falls before Chloe called out for her. 

Chloe's scream helped Nadine avoid the full impact of Severine's attempted sucker-punch Instead of catching her square on the jaw, the blow glanced off her chin and she was able to parry his next punch and follow with an elbow to the nose and a knee to the gut. Nadine was wrestling the 6'2" mercenary on the precarious scaffolding when she called out to Sam. "Take Chloe and go!"

Sam caught Chloe by the arm as she attempted to run past and head for Nadine. "Let her finish this, Chloe." Sam met her angry gray eyes.

Chloe roughly swiped sweaty tendrils of black hair from her forehead as she tore her eyes away from the woman on the ground. Sam was right. She needed to finish this. "You've got 3 minutes, china!," she said by way of encouragement. 

All seemed well until the rumble of another explosion caused the cavern to shake. The scaffolding began to fold and all Chloe could do was to yell out a strangled "Nadine!" as the old wood gave way and broke apart with Nadine and Severine atop. Before she could even try to run towards the cloud of dust and smoke and rock she was roughly grabbed from behind and slammed hard to ground. Her head scraped hard against the stone and the last thing she could register was Nadine's face before the overwhelming need to close her eyes became too much to resist.  
\----

"You still alive, Frazer?" Sam's voice was muffled. 

"Doing my best to keep it that way." She tried to glance back at the rather willowy gentleman who pressing a gun in her back. Admittedly, Paolo de Avila nee Starks, probably weighed 120 pounds wet, but the young upstart had a big idea and enough money to hire the likes of Shoreline mercs to keep him protected. He'd need that money to fix the front tooth Chloe knocked out, if he made it out of here alive. Chloe looked out at the curtain that the waterfall made at mouth of the cave and thought about how romantic of a spot this could be if Nadine were here with her. She was usually very good at not being despondent, but it had been a long 15 minutes and neither Severine or Nadine had been heard from. 

"Shut it! The both of you. The sooner Mr. Drake decides to give me the rest of the map, I can kill you both and be on my way."

Sam groaned and sat up. "Listen you shit stain, I told you I only knew about the necklace. Whatever the hell else you want, I don't fucking have it." 

Paolo opened his mouth to speak when a loud commotion garnered everyone's attention. A very bloody Severine limped his way into the room on what was probably a broken ankle and dropped a rather dazed Nadine to the floor.

Chloe couldn’t fight the smile that came to her face as she took in the sight of partner. Yes, the cut over her eye had opened once more and she was probably going to have a black eye, but she was breathing. 

Her shoulders ached and her ribs were throbbing, but the sound of Chloe's voice reminded Nadine why she had yet to collapse. She pushed up on her hands knees just before Severine gathered the back of shirt roughly and hauled her to her feet. She would be pliant for just a few minutes more.

"Oh goody," Paolo began in a sarcastic tone. "The gang's all here. You can watch." He started to raise his gun in Chloe's direction and Nadine's reaction was swift and merciless. 

Heavy soled boots kicked into Severine's damaged ankle ensuring it was broken now. His howl of pain was interrupted by the back of Nadine's skull crashing into his nose, followed by a near perfect high side kick to the head. She spun behind him just as bullets flew in her direction. Severine hit the ground with an arcing spray of blood as his only herald. Chaos ensued as the remaining guards in the room hurried towards Nadine.

When Paolo realized he couldn't get off the shot he wanted, he did the next best thing. He turned towards the bound Chloe and with everything he had, he shoved the woman through the cave entrance, out through the spray of the waterfall and over the cliff side. 

Sam's loud "Chloe!" shattered the scuffling and Nadine dispatched the two guards before heading straight for the mouth of the cave. Paolo sneered in her direction, clearly ready to take on the juggernaut that was Nadine's determination to get to Chloe. She had watched Chloe disappear behind the wall of water and couldn't be bothered to waste her time on the petulant man. Instead, she took off running towards the edge and simply put her shoulder into the thin man's sternum. The force of her charge lifted Paolo off his feet and sent him on collision course with a stack of crates. Nadine didn't stick around to see him writhing in pain or the way he gasped for breath as the air was expelled from his lungs. 

Nadine barely looked before she leapt, feet first, off the cliff edge.  


** V. Romancing the Stone **

Nadine easily cleared the water fall and crossed her arms in an x across her chest, in order the control her fall into the river below. She knew the fall wasn't the issue at only 25 feet up, but it would be the threat of rocks below that would do the damage.

She hit the water with splash and the sting of the cool water was minimal. She avoided the most dangerous rocks as she opened her eyes wide underwater and spotted a thrashing Chloe a meter or so ahead. Her hands were too tight to her body to allow her to move and the metal chain was snagged against a rock as she tried desperately to surface. 

With strong leg kicks, Nadine made her way to Chloe and immediately began working on dislodging the chain. She glanced up at Chloe who was clearly fighting to hold her breath a bit longer, but it was a battle she about to lose. With gritted teeth, Nadine yanked hard and felt something give. She looked up in triumph to see Chloe taking in water through her mouth. Nadine fought the current with her leg strokes and gripped Chloe around her chest before pulling them both up to the surface. Chloe's body rested on Nadine's as they broke the water and Nadine kept Chloe's chin up above the water as she swam them to the riverbank. 

The ropes would have to wait, as Nadine lay Chloe on her back and tipped her head up to start CPR. Her fingers barely trembled while she cleared Chloe's airway and sealed her mouth over hers just before she expelled two long breaths. It took Nadine a matter of seconds to place her hands properly and begin chest compression. She counted silently and kept focus on Chloe's eyes. Brown eyes were dark with the force of her will as she moved once more to breathe for Chloe. On the second breath, she heard the gasp build in Chloe's throat. Nadine sat back on her knees and waited for the air to hit her lungs. Chloe's gasp for air was nearly a shriek and she was spitting out water a moment later. Nadine held her shoulders as she turned to the side. 

With a few more coughs, Chloe closed her eyes tight to the welcome burning sensation in her chest before opening her eyes. It could have been tears or just water running down Nadine's face that Chloe saw when she finally opened her eyes wide. Chloe took a few more deep breaths, grateful to fill her lungs with air, and then she smiled at her partner, who was biting her bottom lip so hard, Chloe was sure it was going to start bleeding. "You know what," she said with a cough. "I take it back. This was a nice save." She laughed despite the burning in her chest and she heard Nadine release what sounded like half a chuckle and half-sigh of relief. "Please get me out of this." She rolled a bit in order to sit up and expose the rope that was still tight around her wrists.

The motion snapped Nadine into action - as she had momentarily gone catatonic at the wonder that was Chloe. She grabbed her karambit from its sheath at her side and made quick work of the rope. Chloe immediately tossed off the offending rope like a poisonous snake and in the next moment she was reaching out and pulling Nadine to her in a necessary embrace. Nadine crushed the other woman to her chest as she wrapped strong arms around Chloe's back and let her head fall against her shoulder. Chloe nuzzled into the side of the darker woman's neck and let out a shaky laugh. "I guess I can cross 'jump off a waterfall' off my bucket list." She pressed a wet kiss to Nadine's cheek. 

Nadine laughed and squeezed Chloe tighter. She picked her head up and matched Chloe's kiss on her cheek with one of her own. She squeezed her partner once more before slowly pulling back from the embrace to get a good look at her. She pushed a thick swath of black hair away from Chloe's forehead and let her thumbs trail over the purplish bruise that was forming at her temple. She continued her quiet perusal as she took in the small cut on her chin and a few random scratches that trailed down her neck and were hiding beneath the two leather necklaces she wore. Nadine's chest expanded as she took a deep breath and let out a mostly steady exhale. 

The past 5 minutes had been nearly the longest of her entire life and the only thing that had been constant, that had been certain, was the mantra of Chloe's name. Her only thought had been finding Chloe. Getting back to Chloe. And then going after her. That was it and nothing more. That cliff could have led to a lake of fire with man eating crocodiles on the left and a pack of hyenas on the other side, and the only thing that mattered was getting to Chloe. She realized again what she had known immediately on the rooftop in India, she belonged by Chloe's side and the mostly reformed thief belonged with her. Clearly, it was time to discuss just what all else that should mean, but Nadine was sure of only one thing- the only thing that mattered really -- and that was the woman sitting in front of her soaking wet and breathing. 

Chloe kept her arms loose around Nadine's shoulders as she followed the path of brown eyes and the feel of Nadine's fingertips on her skin. It was clear Nadine was having a reflective moment and Chloe had no desire to disturb the other woman. In fact, she was quite enjoying the slow cataloging that was taking place. Chloe finally caught hold of Nadine's fingers as they lingered on her collarbone. "You still with me?" Her lips twitched with a small grin. 

Nadine blinked slowly and met Chloe's eyes. A lazy smirk spread across Nadine's face and she nodded. "Always."

The steady ache that always seemed present in Nadine's presence, blossomed in her chest once more and she knew it had nothing to water in her lungs. A slow smile full of wonder spread raised Chloe's cheeks. "Oh my god, you are such an adorable sap," she teased before pressing another kiss to a spot on her cheek where she knew a faint blush might rise.

Nadine huffed and playfully shoved Chloe, happily breaking the tension. "I'm just glad you're not dead. I wouldn't want to ride back with Sam without you." She winked. 

At the mention of Sam's name both women went quiet. 

"Oh, shit, where's Sam?" Chloe squeezed water from her ponytail as she watched Nadine shrug and look back towards the waterfall. From below the mouth of the cave was hidden behind rush of water. 

Nadine looked down and away almost sheepishly. "Honestly, I was only focused on you." There was no shame in voice, but she did feel a little bad that she hadn't given one thought to Sam. "He's probably fine, right?" A tinge of worry touched her words. 

They both cringed. "Let's get me out of this stupid lock and we can go save his ass."

Nadine smiled, bolstered by Chloe's positivity. "Ja." 

Chloe stretched forward into a toe touch and tugged on the chain. "Damn it. I'm going to need lock picks for this or bolt cutters. Think we can find our way back to that camp?"

Nadine's eyes went wide and focused across the span of the river. "We need to go, now." Her voice was low and she was eerily calm, in a way that was beyond her normal reticence. 

"Nadine?" Chloe's back was to the river and she could see brown eyes looking over her shoulder. 

"I'm pretty sure that Jaguar's not going to cross the river, but I've got a feeling we're in their territory, so we need to get moving." She spoke slow and softly in an effort not to alarm any more than necessary. 

Chloe gulped and slowly turned her head. Indeed, on the other side, lazing on trunk was a large Jaguar. "Oh, yes, we need to go." The two women moved deliberately, but not in a rush. Nadine helped Chloe stand and they both realized that the rope chain didn't leave much slack for Chloe to move

"Don't suppose I can hop away, huh?" Chloe asked in jest.

"No time. Up you go." Chloe could only squeak in surprise, as Nadine gripped her around the thighs and lifted the other woman, bending her at the waist over her shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

Chloe could only laugh once Nadine took off at a light jog. "Well, I guess I can't complain about the view." With flirtatious delight, she swatted her partner's bum, while Nadine jogged them to safety.

The ride ended about half a mile later as they spotted the entrance to the mining shaft that they had run across earlier. Once Nadine was sure the entrance was clear of Shorline people, she carried Chloe into the excavated area and they both began to search for tools and weapons. Chloe hopped towards what looked like a machete just as Nadine was unearthing a chisel and a crowbar she could use as a hammer. 

The symmetry and power of Nadine's forearms and biceps were on display, as it took more than a few focused, forceful strikes, to break the chain link hobbling Chloe. The link broke with a crack and Nadine smiled in triumph. A grateful Chloe quickly ripped through the rope and she held up a hand for her partner to high-five. 

"Seriously, Nadine, you are the best partner ever. Like, ever, ever." Her genuine relief was evident in her smile. They both got to their feet and surveyed the best way back up. "And I found you a present." Chloe handed over the machete she found. 

Nadine glanced at the weapon and then to Chloe and back before the corners of her mouth turned up in a wicked smile. She arched a slim dark eyebrow and met Chloe's eyes. "You should probably let me take point."

Chloe snatched the discarded crowbar up and then matched Nadine's smile with a smirk of her own. "After you, darling." 

They made their way towards the rope ladder that they knew led to a safe landing and the beginning of the scaffolding and stairs put in by the Shoreline team. The mine itself was at least a century old, but there had been clear attempt to update and even reopen over the last 30 years. The young de Avila (if he even really was one), had Shoreline build overtop of the old as they had worked their way up through the mountain. There were now six levels with landings that led to tunnels and caverns used for mining. 

As the two women worked their way up, back towards the last place they saw Sam, the man in question - unbeknownst to them- was working his way down. Sam wasn't a master climber or even a master thief, but he was a master survivor at this point in his life. In the commotion from earlier Sam used Nadine's focused fury to his advantage. The melee had allowed Sam to snag a shotgun along with the metal box that housed the soft bag with necklace. He headed towards the stairs and hoped like hell that Nadine and Chloe had been swept away by river.

With Nadine at the point, machete at the ready, they took the first corner in a practiced ballet of movements: Nadine high and Chloe low. The area was clear and they moved silently to the second, where the tell-tale sound of a safety release put Nadine on alert. She held her hand up in a fist and Chloe stopped moving, aware of what the signal meant. Still as a statue, the former Shoreline captain waited until her mark made the mistake of moving too far towards the stairs. 

Nadine re-gripped the machete - which was worn and in need of a good sharpening - and she wielded it like it was the light saber of her childhood fantasies. The machete cut clean through the muscle and bone of the first arm she saw. Amidst, blood and howls she scooped up the dropped gun and passed it off to Chloe. "You take it. This is just fine for me.”

Chloe had worked with Nadine long enough not to be too perturbed by her uncanny sense of focus when she set her sights on a goal. After all, Chloe knew the feeling. She understood what it meant to want to figure out a puzzle or finish a task or simply just win. For Nadine, sometimes that goal could be winning a game of darts in just six throws or figuring out the fastest way to a destination. "You're enjoying this aren't you?", Chloe asked even though the smug smile on Nadine's face spoke volumes. 

They kept moving in a single file up the levels until a shotgun blast put them on alert, along a rickety wood walkway near the third landing. They hugged wall and Chloe had her gun at the ready. They eased towards the blind corner. The wood creaked and Nadine raised her machete. Quick reflexes and Sam's wide eyes made Nadine change the trajectory of her upswing. Sam practically squealed as the blade skimmed past his face. He was pretty sure he lost part of an eye lash and he clearly lost a slice of his shirt, as the corner of the hem fluttered to the ground.

He gulped in air and let out a relieved chuckle. "Jesus, I could kiss you both! But we gotta go, go, go." He put his hands on both their shoulders and started pressing.

Nadine shook her head and stood her ground. "But what about Avila? The rest of Shoreline?" She glanced at Chloe and got a small nod. "If I can finish this, then it needs to be done.'

Sam smiled in understanding. "No worries, I'm sure I helped." He was grabbing her by the arm and tugging. "Seriously, we. have. to. go." Nadine looked from the machete to his hand on her arm and raised her brow.

He growled in frustration and then blurted out, "I-found-a-case-of-dynamite-and-I-might-have-dropped-a-match-and-we-might-need-to-go." His words came out in speedy tumble of syllables. In the next moment, his words were punctuated by a rumble.

They all knew that sound. Chloe grabbed Nadine by the belt and this time she easily ran. They headed for the closest tunnel which they knew would lead to an open cave mouth that hopefully was not underneath the waterfall. They hustled toward the day light, dodging the rubble from above and the collapsing scaffolding below. They breached the sunlight just as the rock face gave way, just in time for the collapsing shaft to send them into a hasty escape via a mudslide down the valley side into a tumble of limbs.

Sam snagged a tree limb which slowed his less than graceful slide off this mountain side into a mudpuddle, however, all Chloe and Nadine had to grip was one another. Chloe made a failed attempt to snag a branch and only ended up careering into Nadine as the slick slide sent them hurtling towards the shallow mud. Nadine managed to latch onto Chloe's belt loop before the curve of the rock face deposited them with a splat. 

Chloe's bum hit the ground first and she let out an "oof" at the hard yet squishy stop. She barely had a moment to clean the mud from her eyes before Nadine was sliding face first between her outstretched legs. Gray eyes closed shut and she and attempted to brace, but Nadine's muscle knocked them both back and Chloe just relaxed her arms and let inertia do its job.

Eventually they stopped sliding as the mud gave way to grass. Chloe was sure she was going to have a serious case of road rash. Neither woman moved for a few deep breaths as they waited to make sure they were indeed stopped. Chloe opened one eye and then the other slowly as she began testing her extremities. She opened her eyes fully to look down to see the crown of Nadine's now muddy curly hair, firmly between her breasts. 

Despite the mud and the wet of the waterfall Chloe could clearly feel Nadine's breath even through her soaked shirt. "You know love, I was really hoping we'd go on a real date first before you made it to second base, but I don't mind if you don't." 

On strong arms, Nadine pushed up and raised her head. Chloe burst into a howl of laughter when she took in the muddy and slightly bloody (just the lip) face of her partner. Nadine just scowled and squinted at the other woman before she collapsed to her elbows, still between Chloe's legs. "I'm glad you think this is funny, Frazer."

"Well, you know, near death experiences make me giddy." She rolled her eyes and then leaned to the side to spit the taste of mud from her mouth.

"You look like an extra in Lord of the Rings right now." Nadine chuckled and shook her head, dislodging some of the mud that had locked into her curly hair

"Hey!" Chloe squeaked as she was pelted with mud. "I do love that movie." She swiped her forehead and cleared the mud from the left side of her face. "Wait, are you saying I look like one of those Orc things?"

Nadine hadn't bothered to move much as she got a good look a Chloe, who was only slightly bruised and mostly muddy. She chuckled. "Don't worry, you're still beautiful." For once Nadine didn't look away in embarrassment or try to deflect with a joke. Instead, she met Chloe's eyes and grinned. 

Chloe sat up and relined back on her elbows and took a good look at the woman who remained comfortably between her legs. Face and hair full of mud, but surprisingly happy. Chloe ran her tongue across teeth and smirked. "Are you flirting with me Nadine Ross?"

Nadine ducked her head a bit before pushing up once more, bringing her nearly nose to nose with the other woman. "Maybe I'm not doing this right, but at this point- " she trailed off and glanced down at Chloe's lips before meeting her eyes once more. 

Chloe answered with a lopsided smirk before she added, "Trust me, you're doing just fine." She raised her right hand and used her thumb to clear away some mud and caked blood from Nadine's cheek.

Chloe's touch made Nadine's arms wobble. She pushed forward and surged into Chloe's welcoming lips. Nadine held herself up as long as she could, before falling into the softness of Chloe's lips, mud be damned. Chloe let out a soft whimper as her arms gave out and they collapsed to wet earth. Nadine moaned as Chloe's tongue met her own and they both lost themselves in the feel and taste of one another. Chloe wrapped her left arm around Nadine's shoulders and pulled her tighter to her as she ran the thumb of her right hand along Nadine's jaw. Nadine's hands cradled Chloe's face as they continued to kiss long and deep - clearly intending to make up for the past few months of denying the obvious. 

They were oblivious to their surroundings: the mud, the bugs, and one Sam Drake clearing the mud from the rear facing camera of his screen shattered cell phone. He managed to snap at least two photos before either woman realized. 

Chloe was biting gently into Nadine's bottom lip when she heard the tell-tale facsimile sound of camera click. She gave a quick nip to Nadine's lip before turning her head in Sam's direction. "Did you just do what I think you did?"

Sam's wide smile was enough of an answer. 

While she was loathe to leave her comfortable position, Nadine's brain finally cleared the fog that was Chloe and her head snapped up. "Give me the phone, Drake!" She pushed up and popped to her feet in the blink of an eye. 

Watching Nadine flex her biceps as she contemplated tackling Sam was a thing of beauty and while Chloe was ready to let Sam get pummeled, she was also desperate to get Nadine somewhere alone and preferably with a bed. Although at this point, the back of the Jeep might suffice. "Okay kids, let's not fight." Chloe got to her feet and cleared away more mud from her hair. "Give up the phone Sam, and I won't let Nadine kill you."

Chloe kept a straight face and for a moment he thought she wasn't joking. 

"At least let me tell, Nate." He pouted. "I'll let you hold the necklace!" He held up the bag as he bounced on his toes. 

Brown and Gray eyes went wide. "You got it!" Nadine was genuinely surprised.

"Of course, I got it!" He was proud himself. "Little Miss Beserker over here was the perfect distraction." Nadine folded her arms her chest and scowled a bit at the moniker. "Not that your little, ' Sam quickly followed up and then Chloe snatched the bag. "Hey, hey! Easy there." 

She grabbed the bag with a maniacal grin and walked to stand beside Nadine. She held the bag open and let Nadine reach in to pull out the necklace.  
It seemed appropriate since it was her quick thinking that helped them find the necklace in the first place.

With careful fingers, she lifted the heavy necklace out of the sack and held it up. The late sun danced off the facets of the deep of green. and mixed with the sparkle in Chloe's gray eyes. "This thing is absolutely amazing." Nadine smiled. 

"I'd say breathtaking." Nadine looked up at Chloe's words and found that gray eyes were not focused on the necklace but her. The soldier ducked her head as she felt the heat spread to the tips of her ears. 

Nadine placed the heavy necklace bag in the bag and finally gave Chloe a full smile. Her words were caught in her throat again, as they often failed her when the other woman flustered her. 

Sam could see where this staring contest was about to head again, so he cleared his throat in the loudest manner possible, replete with unnecessary coughing. "Look ladies, I love this thing you have here, but my side hurts, I'm sure I lost a tooth, and if we don't all get out of these wet clothes we're all going to have pneumonia.” 

Chloe rolled her eyes at his antics but she agreed that he did have a slight point. "Fine,” she sighed. She put the bag behind her back and held out her hand. "Now give me the camera and I'll let you hold the necklace."

Sam's face fell with disappointment. "Seriously?"

"Give up the phone, Drake." Nadine held out her hand.

"Christ, fine." He slapped the phone down in Nadine's palm. "You two are seriously no fun." He curled his lip in an attempt at a snarl. 

Chloe just snickered before tossing the bag to Sam and then she quickly snatched the phone form Nadine. She scrolled through the photos as they walked towards a safe dry surface. "They are kind of nice, Nadine." She wiggled her eyebrows and bumped Nadine's hip as they walked.

"No way, Frazer. Delete. Delete." Nadine went to grab the phone, but with Chloe's slight height advantage and arm length, she held the phone just out of reach.

"Nope. Think I might keep it." She arched an eyebrow in sign of challenge and promise. 

Nadine cut gold-brown eyes at the smirking woman and let out a puff of air in a show of defeat. "Fine. Have it your way. Keep it." Nadine shoved her hands in her pockets as they stopped to orient themselves and head back in the general direction of the car. She leaned close to Chloe's ear and promised quietly, "I'll get it eventually." 

Chloe laughed at the innuendo-laced threat. "I can't wait for you to try," she retorted before sliding the thin phone into the front pocket of her cargos. She leaned over and planted a wet kiss on Nadine's cheek. "Last one to the car has first watch!" 

The two women took off with a whoop and holler, while a slightly hobbled Sam could only groan in protest. He jogged as best he could on a sprained ankle. "Just for that, I'm telling Nate!"

The jungle swallowed up their laughter as they began the trek back home. 

 

_Fade out..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope this wasn't too goofy, but it was rattling around in my head. Come yell at me on tumblr if you feel the need. @csquirrel27 or lurking on Twitter @BeADragonBlerd -- Peace and soul grease!

**Author's Note:**

> Fokenwil - for fucksake  
> Yissus - Jesus!


End file.
